Knightly orders first arose in medieval Europe during the Crusades. But their activities were not limited to war alone, for a knight is not only a warrior, but also a person of high spirituality and moral qualities. To be a knight meant to honor the "Knightly Code of Honor" (a kind of life credo, which includes a set of unspoken rules of conduct, both in society and in war). But let's talk about what the knightly orders were.
Templars
The first and most popular order of chivalry, which arose during the Crusades from those soldiers who participated in the capture of the "holy land" of Jerusalem. They were called that - the Order of the Jerusalem Knights of the Cross, which spoke of a clear belonging to the spiritual and religious basis of Christianity of that time. The banner of the organization was a red cross on a white background, and the banner, often taken out on a huge chariot, was a golden Catholic cross, which was considered a symbol of the power of faith and inspired ordinary soldiers to feats of arms. Unfortunately, after a couple of centuries, this order fell apart and was destroyed. On Friday the 13th of 1307, by order of the Pope, all the Templars were accused of heresy, worshiping Baphomet and, as a result, arrested and killed. This ishappened because the Templars, developing and increasing their power, turned from a spiritual organization into a very powerful economic and political machine, which was objectionable to neither the authorities nor the religious leaders. Of course, most of the accusations were simply falsified, but this did not have much effect on the spiritual and knightly orders as a whole.
Hospitallers
Knightly orders, as a rule, originated in the Holy Land, exactly where Christians needed help and support for their pilgrimages. One of these "auxiliary" formations was the Order of the Holy Principality of Antioch, named after the occupied city (near Jerusalem). Their distinguishing feature was a white cross on a black background, the order consisted mainly of the French and was engaged in helping pilgrims. Knightly orders of this type, although not as powerful, outlived their brethren. For example, the same hospitals in our time - the Red Cross Society, which still provides all possible medical care in countries affected by certain military conflicts. True, the religious basis has been somewhat distorted, and few people know that, along with this organization, its offshoot, called the Order of the Red Crescent, also works.
Knightly orders in world culture
So why do we need knights at all and why did they "extinct"? The fact is that the appearance of warrior knights was a natural phenomenon at a time when the strength of one person could be opposed to the strength of many, thanks toexperience, skill and skill. But already a century later (with the advent of gunpowder and even crossbows that pierce armor and are “dishonorable” weapons), the popularity of chivalry began to decline, and the representatives of the orders themselves “retrained” into the military-aristocratic elite of the Renaissance. But that's another story!
